The High School Prom is an event that most of us have fond memories of. But it only takes one bad decision to turn that fond memory into a lifetime of regret. This was the message that a community of Emergency Services gave of their time to help the Junior and Senior Classes of Calhoun High School understand. Mulitple agencies from around the county and State, with the help of Westfall’s Wrecker Service and students actors performed a mock disaster, involving a car load of teens making bad decisions and one woman who would never make it home.
The scene was staged and all of the characters were in their place as multiple ambulances, rescue and police rolled onto scene in front of the students. A helicopter had just landed on the adjacent practice field, and stood by to take critical survivors from the scene. But in the midst of it all beginning, reality hit, and the Helicopter cerw and the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to an emergency flight need at Minnie Hamilton Health System.
As teens could be heard screaming from the mutilated vehicle emergency crews rushed in on the scene to assess the injuries and to calm panicking youth. Cpl. Myers climbed into the vehicle with the teens, shielding them from glass and debris as the Fire Department volunteers cut the vehicle with the Jaws of Life.
The impact of this mock accident had youth penned in a vehicle due to the damage incurred in the accident. An all too familiar issue on many of the accident scenes the volunteer fire fighters have been on. The accident isn’t always what totals a vehicle. Emergency services have to use every means possible to protect the occupants of the car, and help EMS to remove the patient with as little movement to victims as possible.
Patients were extracted one by one, for a total of four, with one fatality in the other vehicle. This is what all of the volunteers who came to the school on Thursday afternoon, hope to avoid on Saturday night as Calhoun County High School hosts Prom 2022. They hope that these images remain in the minds of those who attend prom, causing them to make wise decisions and stay safe.
Health Net came to help with the mock event but were called away early into it.
Orchestrating a mock disaster is no easy feat. Multiple agencies are involved and fall into place with no rehearsal, just prior experience in real life allows them to play the role. Those who particpated were:
- Julie Sears, OES Director
- Jack Price, OES staff
- Cpl. C. J. Myers
- NRP Jonathan Holcomb
- Stephanie Bradley, Calhoun EMS
- George Settles, Calhoun EMS
- Eddie Combs, Minnie Hamilton EMS
- Mykayla Hooder, Minnie Hamilton EMS
- Jason Wilson, Minnie Hamilton EMS
- Brandon Carpenter, Calhoun EMS
- Bruce Tanner, Asst. Chief Upper West Fork Volunteer Fire Department
- Steve Ludwig, Upper West Fork Volunteer Fire Department
- Joe Tanner, Chief, Arnoldsburg Volunteer Fire Department
- Fred Waybright, Asst. Chief Arnoldsuburg Volunteer Fire Department
- Russell Smith, Arnoldsburg Volunteer Fire Department
- Joe Blair, Arnoldsburg Volunteer Fire Department
- David Johnson, Chief Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department
- John Fleagle, Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department
- Lucas Morford, Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department
There were many volunteers today, if I missed someone I apologize and hope that someone will notify Ridgeview News to add them.
